Overcoming Fear of Terrorist Attacks

I still remember the exact feeling in my stomach when I watched those planes crash into the Twin Towers on September 11th, 2001. I watched the TV in horror and disbelief as sickening, vicious butterflies gnawed my insides and rose up to close my throat.

Fear. That’s what is was. I felt raw, pure, terrifying fear.

These days, terror attacks have become so common that they often don’t register with us in the same gut-punching way as 9/11. I’ve grown up a bit in these last sixteen years, too. I have been involved in cross-cultural ministry (both in the States and abroad) for eleven years. I teach about resisting hate and loving the unlovely, and I’ve even written a book on reaching out to immigrants.

But just a few weeks ago, when I heard that my friends lived mere blocks from the June 3rd London Bridge attack, I felt a fluttering flashback flood my stomach.

There it was again. The same old fear.

Truth: We will never escape our own humanity as we engage in ministry. We will never rise above the feeling of fear. But we have a Spirit-empowered choice of what to do with fear when it comes knocking—again.

Here are 4 ways we can move beyond fear and continue reaching out to Muslims in the wake of yet another terror attack. I’m seeking to apply them in my own life—will you join me?

1. Being honest about our fear

Sometimes we tend to hide our fear because we worry it will make us look like bad Christians. This is ironic, since the Apostle Paul is honest about his own fearfulness: “Pray also for me…that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph 6:19). Why did Paul ask for fearlessness? Because he was feeling fear. Paul knew the way to move beyond fear is not through denial but rather through honesty before others and humility before God.

2. Seeking out good news, not just bad

It is a good and Christian impulse to stay informed on what is going on in the world. The problem comes when we get all our news from major news outlets who know that bad news sells better. Make sure you’re balancing your diet of CNN or Fox with alternative sources of positive news about immigrants. Bad things certainly are happening, but good things are too.

3. Focusing on individuals, not groups

Thinking about reaching out to “Muslims” is as intimidating as it is vague. Eating a snack after English class while chatting with Abdi and Faduma and playing with their toddler, on the other hand, is much more doable and much less scary. Let’s ask for Jesus’ eyes to see the Muslim standing before you as an individual created in God’s image and precious to Him regardless of any other identity marker, be it religious, socio-economic, or ethnic.

4. Replacing fear with faith again and again…and again

As mentioned above, living a life surrendered to God does not mean that we will every conquer fear in this life. In fact, if we rarely feel fear in our lives, it may be a sign that we’re due for a trip out of our comfort zones. Think of fear not as a sin but as an opportunity—a warning light that is alerting you that you are moving into territory where you will need to trust God more than you have before. He gives more grace! We are invited to come to the throne room and ask for what we need to replace fear with faith again and again…and again.

Using fear as a springboard, let’s commit ourselves anew to this task of welcoming the stranger, saying with the Psalmist: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Ps 56:3-4, emphasis mine).

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Would St. Francis Willingly be Captured by ISIS?

During the 5th Crusade St. Francis undertook what most considered a senseless and foolhardy mission: convert the most powerful Muslim in the world. So radical was the Sultan he had promised a Byzantine gold piece for anyone who brought the head of a Christian. He was “treacherous, brainless and false hearted,” but where others saw the face of evil, Francis saw a man without the Savior and compassion welled up inside of him.

As Francis and his trusted friend Illumimato walked onto the battlefield, they were caught, beaten and brought to the Sultan who was happy because he thought they wanted to become Muslims. “On the contrary,” said Francis, “We have a message that you should surrender your soul to God.” Thus he proclaimed the Triune God and Jesus Christ the Savior of all. The Sultan did not convert for it was he who retook Jerusalem. By God’s grace St. Francis was not killed but that possibility did not deter him.

In these perilous times, when radical Islam is carrying out horrific acts of violence, Christians must reach out to Muslims with courage and compassion. We must understand their concerns and engage with them in witness. Most Muslims wake up with no church, no Bible, and no one to tell them about the Way, the Truth and the Life. Five times a day from countless minarets in their midst, they hear God is great, but who will tell them God is love?

Do Muslims & Christians Worship the Same God?

Every language has its word for “God” which is used in translation of Scripture and within any particular culture and language. Allah is the Arabic word for the English “God” just as “Dios” is in Spanish. It is the word that has been used for centuries by Jews and Christians in the Middle East and actually pre-dates the founding of Islam in the seventh century. Bibles translated in predominantly Muslim countries into local languages such as Indonesian, Malay and Bengali use Allah as the biblical reference to the sovereign creator God.

To not use “Allah” for God would require the use of a foreign word that would not be understood in the local language. Ironically, the word “Allah” comes from the same root word of “Elohim” of the Old Testament, while our English word “God” has no etymological relationship to the biblical YHWH or Jehovah. In fact, it comes from the German “Gott” and was derived from the name of a pagan viking deity!

Use of Allah in Muslim literature refers to the God who created the world. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (and Ishmael), and other prophets known in the Old Testament. To introduce another identity than the monotheistic sovereign creator deity of the Bible and known as Allah by Muslims would create a formidable barrier to communicating biblical truth.

The concern is understandable that if “Allah” is used in Christian witness that the theological distortions of Muslim understanding will be carried over, resulting in syncretism or heretical concepts of God shaped by ones Islamic background. Certainly, this requires adequate teaching and discipling just as it does in our own culture. And we should be confident that when one comes in genuine repentance and faith to Jesus Christ that God is able to reveal Himself in spirit and truth to a new believer.

Is there more than one God? No, there is only one God, and He can be known only through Jesus Christ. We must not confuse cultural and linguistic bridges of communication in seeking to transcend diverse worldviews.

How ISIS is Spreading the Gospel

“I have been a Muslim for forty-one years, in all that time have never questioned Islam. But now, I have decided to leave it.”

I have often referred Islamic radicals as “proto-evangelists” for the Christian faith. The first of these was the Ayatollah Khomeini. His brutal regime in Iran, whose atrocities and policies have lead many Iranians to leave Iran, has also led to an exodus of Iranians out of Islam. Estimates are difficult, but the numbers significant. Outside Iran the numbers are firmer but no less astonishing. In Sweden, fully ten percent of the Iranian immigrant population has converted to the Christian faith. That is approximately eight thousand out of a total of eighty thousand in the entire country. Some Iranian believers have called the Ayatollah the greatest missionary because he showed us what Islam is really like.

#Islamophobia: 6 Points to Consider

Why is that no one seems to mind if Buddhists, Hindus, Mormons, Jews or nominal Christians use a Chapel in Duke or Washington D.C., but when Muslims want to do so, the gloves come off? Based on a survey by LifeWay Research, nearly half of pastors surveyed agreed that ISIS represents the true nature of Islam. Here are five things about Islamophobia in Church.

Taking theological cues from the news: Americans are inundated with hate-filled media, demonizing all Muslims because of the actions of a few. Many conservative “Christian” websites and blogs have jumped on this bandwagon, playing on the fears and emotions of the Church.

Syncretism between nationalism and faith: Politically-motivated organizations have become increasingly hateful toward Muslims and are well-funded in their efforts. Too many Christians have been captivated by a misguided call for patriotism that asks them to oppose Islam as part of their faith. It should concern us when a pastor who says, “convert them or kill them” is invited to be the keynote speaker at a political leadership conference.

We have forgotten who the enemy is: We must remember that Islam is not the enemy. Scripture is clear: our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the evil one (Eph.6). He is cunning and will use anything he can to keep people from knowing Jesus. Are Muslims more depraved than others? Groups like ISIS are evil, but why does that surprise us? This type of behavior isn’t new and it didn’t begin with Islam.

Stay out of our churches: Some years ago, a denomination’s city headquarters called the Zwemer Center to ask if we would conduct a seminar titled “What to do if a Muslim comes into your Church.” We suggested a few tips for reaching out to Muslims but discovered they had something else in mind. They wanted ideas on how to gently remove Muslims from the building–if they showed up.

Stay out of our chapels: There are some who believe that if a Muslim prays somewhere it means they have conquered it. Not true. Which American citizens should not have access to freedom of religion?

Islam isn’t the problem, we are. One big problem is the President’s statement, “no religion condones killing of innocents.” It implies that true believers (whatever religion) never condone killing although every religion, at one time or the other has done so … it is the nature of humanity.” We should not say Islam is inherently peaceful or violent. Islam is much more complex than that.